Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
Three individuals have been charged following the discovery of firearms and ammunition at a Laredo residence. U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei announced the arrests, revealing that Erick Lopez-Rivera Sr., 37, and Marcos Lora-Morales, 24, both illegal residents in Laredo, along with Erick Lopez Jr., 18, are facing various firearms offenses.
The investigation was initiated on March 21, after law enforcement located a firearm allegedly linked to a previous crime. Authorities, executing a search warrant, reportedly found machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) and a backpack containing magazines and ammunition at the site, which Lopez had been storing. MCDs are known to convert semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic weapons.
Further investigation revealed .38 special and .22LR ammunition associated with Lopez-Rivera Sr. Additionally, a grey backpack with a 9mm S&W handgun and a Mexican passport belonging to Lora-Morales were discovered in a detached structure on the property. The complaint states that Lora-Morales had overstayed his visa and was unlawfully residing in the United States.
Charges against Lopez-Rivera Jr. include possession of a machine gun. Lopez-Rivera Sr. and Lora-Morales face charges of alien in possession of ammunition and alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, respectively. Lopez-Rivera Sr. additionally faces a charge of felony reentry of an alien.
Penalties for these offenses are severe. Possession of a machine gun could result in a 10-year prison term. The charges related to alien possession of firearms and ammunition carry maximum penalties of 15 years. Illegal reentry after removal has a potential sentence of 20 years. All three individuals also face possible fines up to $250,000 per count.
The investigation was carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, and the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is responsible for prosecuting the case.
It is important to note that an indictment is a formal accusation, not proof of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty through legal proceedings.
